Safety attachment for wringers.



w. H, GEORGE. SAFETY ATTACHMENT F-OR WRJN/GERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20| 9H5- 1 196 53., Patented Aug. 29, 1916;

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SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WRINGERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20 1916.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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WILLIAM H. GEORGE, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, TO THE DEXTER COMPANY, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR W'RINGERS.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for VVringers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety attachments for clothes wringers and it consists of the matters hereinafter describedand more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide an attachment for wringers for instantaneously releasing the tension from the rolls of a clothes wringer, which may be easily substituted for the usual presser bar of the wringer.

The device is so constructed, that to apply the same to a wringer, it is only necessary to remove the usual compression nuts together with the associated presser bar and to substitute the attachment in the place formerly occupied by said presser bar, after which the compression nuts are again replaced. When the safety attachment is in assembled position, tension may be applied to the wringer rolls asbefore. When it is desired to release this tension, it is only necessary to move a lever, which will instantly produce a complete collapse or knock down of the device, whereupon the tension springs of'the wringer will expand back into their normal fully expanded condition, thus removing all tension from the rolls.

The many advantages of my invention will appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a view in front elevation of a metal frame clothes wringer to which my improved safety attachment has been applied in place of the usual presser bar, and showing the said attachment as it appears when tension is applied to the wringer rolls. Fig. 2 represents a view in side elevation of the wriugcr thus equipped. Fig. 3 represents a Patented Aug. 22. 1, 191 46.

Application filed May 20, 1916. Serial No. 98,740.

horizontal plan sectional view through my improved safety device. the plane of the section being indicated by the lime of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts appearing in the position they assume, after the safety attachment has been operated or collapsed to release the tension from the wringer rolls.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings :-5 indicates as a whole an ordinary all metal frame clothes wringer to which my improved safety attachment has been applied. 6 and 7 indicate the upper and lower compression rolls respectively of said wringer, which are mounted on the usual associated shafts 8 and 9. The said shafts are journaled at their ends in the end frames 10, 10 of the wringer. Each end frame 10 comprises upper and lower, vertically spaced arms 11 and 12 (see Fig. 2), in the front ends of which are formed oppositely disposed bearing recesses 11, 12 for the ends of wringer roll shafts S and 1). At the rear end of the upper arm 11 is provided a depending lug 13 which extends into a hole provided therefor in the rear end of the lower arm 12. As will be apparent, the

arms 11 and 12 are held in proper spaced relation by reason of the bearing engage ment of their front ends with the wringer roll shafts and the engagement of the lug 13 in the associated hole in the rear end of the plates 12. The frame members 10 are held in proper horizontally spaced relation by means of a rod 14 which connects the bottom ends of the lower arms 12 together. Said bottom-arms 12 are also provided with usual means (not shown) by which the Wringer as a whole is secured to a suitable support. Upon each of the upper bearing arms 11, 11, near the bearing recesses 11 are fixed casings 15 which inclose the ends of the wringer rolls and the usual intermeshing gears 16 and 17 on the shafts 8 and 9. (See Fig. 2).

19 19 indicate upright tension rods or bolts which are fixed at theirs bottom ends in the lower bearing arm 12. in a plane back of the longitudinal plane of the wringer rolls 6 and 7. through suitable openings in the upper bearing arms 11 which are provided about Said tension rods extend said openings with seats 20 for the bottom ends of tension springs 21, mounted on said tension rods. '1

In the ordinary metal frame clothes wringer thus far described, the usual presser bar (which comprises a bowed bar having apertured ends) is engaged upon said tension rods above the top ends of said springs. F nuts 22, 22 are threaded upon each tension rod above the presser bar, and when it is desired to produce the proper tension on the wringer rolls the fly nuts are threaded farther upon the screws, forcing the presser bar downwardly and compressing the said s 'iring's 21. All the before described mechanism is embodied] in what. is known to the trade as an all metal frame wringer.

In the present invention. I have discarded the presser bar before mentioned, and substituted in its stead a frame 25 which may be properly called a collapsible or knockdown presser bar frame. Said frame is mounted on the tension rods 19, 19 between the top ends of the springs 21, 21 and the fly nuts 22, 22. It is so constructed that while it normally provides a rigid structure through which tension maybe applied to the wringer rolls, by means of the fly nuts 22, 22 as in the case of the ordinary presser bar, it may, when required, be instantlycollapsed or knocked-down to release the tension from said rolls. Thus, when a part of the operators personor clothing becomes caught between the wringer rolls. the tension on said rolls'may be released at once.

The frame 25 comprises parallel top and bottom, vertically spaced bars 30, 31 respectively, which are provided with suitable holes at their ends, through which the ten sion rods 19, 19 extend. The bar 30 is provided at its ends beyond the holes through which the tension rods extend with depending lugs 3232, to which are pivoted normally upright latches or posts 33'33. These latches are semitubular in cross section so as to embrace the tension rods when in their normal upright position. The top ends of said latches terminate in laterally spaced ears 31, 34 by means of which they are pivoted to the lugs 32, and the bottom ends of said latches each have a radial flange 35 to provide a base for engagement with the top surface of the bar 31.

36, 37, indicate release links which are slidably mounted on the top surface of the lower bar 31 and extend in opposite directions from the middle of said bar toward its ends. Said links are preferably made of strap iron. The outer ends of the links 36,

37, are bifurcated (see Fig. 3) and passing at the sides of the tension rods 19. 19, engage the. bottom ends of the latches 33 when said latches arein their normal upright spacing position between the bars 30, 31. Rivets 39 fixed to the bar 31 near its ends,

extend through slots 38 between the bifurcated ends of the links 36, 37, and hold the ends of said links in place, at the same time permitting endwise movement of said links.

The inner ends of the links 36, 37 are twisted into a plane at right angles to the plane of their main length, to provide heads which are pivotally connected to an operating lever 10 at points an equal distance on each side of the pivoted connection 41 of said lever with the bottom bar 31. This lever is capable of being rocked in a vertical plane and is limited in its movement by a stop 30 on the bar 30.

The operation of my improved safety at tachment is as follows: As will be apparent, when the latches 33 are in their upright position with their bases 35 engaged upon the top surfaces of the ends of the bar 31, they will maintain the bars and 37 in rigid. vertically spaced relation. When in this upright position. tension may be applied as desired to the wringer rolls as usual by turning the fly-nuts \Vhcu said bars 36 and 37 are thus held in the proper spaced relation by said latches. the lever 40 is engaged against the stop shoulder 30 on the bar 30. Should the operator's hand or clothing be caught between the rolls of the wringer, the lever 40 may be quickly operated by the other handto produce an outward movement of the release links 36, 37, which in turn will displace the bottom ends of both of the latches 33 outwardly beyond the ends of the bar 31, with the result that the frame 25 as a whole will collapse and allow the springs 21,21, to return to their normal expanded condition, thus relieving the pressure between the wringer rolls. hen it is desired to again apply tension to the rolls. the frame 25 is assembled or set up simply by unscrewing the fly nuts 22 a suitable distance. moving the lever back to the right and raising the bar 30 vertically. until the free or bottom ends of the latches (which swing inwardly under the action of gravity) engage the top surface of the bar 31. The fly nuts may be then screwed down to again adjust the tension.

As will be apparent my improved safety attachment possesses many ad antages over the present devices for like purposes. In many of said devices, upon release of the tension from said springs. the presscr bar together with the tension screws are thrown entirely from the wringer frame. This structure is impracticable to reassemble. Another advantage is that the safety attachment as a unit may be purchased by the user and applied to their old wringer frame by simply substituting the attachment for the usual presser bar.

While in describing my invention I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction and arrangement of parts, I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A device of the kind described comprising in combination with a wringer frame having end bearing members, a plu rality of rolls journaled at their ends in said bearing members, means associated with said bearing members for applying tension between said rolls, a normally rigid, rectangular collapsible frame mounted on said bearing members through which tension may be applied to said rolls, and means operating on the ends of said frame for collapsing the same.

2. A device of the kind described comprising in combination with a wringer frame having end bearing members, a plurality of rolls journaled at their ends in said bearing members, means associated with said bearing members for applying tension between said rolls, a normally rigid rectangular collapsible frame mounted on said bearing members through which tension may be applied to said rolls, means operating on the ends of said frame for collapsing the same and a lever for actuating said means.

3. A device of the kind described comprising in combination with a wringer frame having bearing members, a plurality of rolls journaled at their ends in said bearing members, means associated with said bearing members for applying tension between said rolls, a normally rigid, collapsible frame mounted on'said bearing members through which tension may be applied to said wringer rolls, said frame comprising top and bottom parallel bars, spacing means normally holding said bars in spaced relation and means adapted to displace said spacing means from between said bars.

4. A device of the kind described comprising in combination with a wringer frame having end bearing members, a plurality of wringer rolls journaled at their ends in said bearing members, means associated with said bearing members for imposing tension on said rolls, a normally rigid, collapsible frame mounted on said bearing members through which tension may be impressed on said wringer rolls, said frame comprising top and bottom parallel bars, spacing devices pivotally connected to one of said bars normally holding said bars in spaced relation, and a lever mounted on said frame and adapted to displace said spacing means from between said bars.

5. A device of the kind described comprising in combination a wringer frame having end bearing members, a plurality of rolls j-ournaled at their ends in sa'd bearing members, means associated with said bearing members for imposing a tension on said rolls, a normally rigid collapsible frame mounted on said first mentioned means through which tension may be imposed on said rolls, said frame comprising top and bottom parallel bars, devices pivotally connected to the ends of said top bars and adapted to engage the ends of said bottom bar to normally hold said bars in a spaced relation, a lever pivoted to one of said bars, and means operatively connected to said lever for displacing said spacing devices from engagen'ient with said bottom bar.

6. A device of the kind described com-- prising in combination a wringer frame having end bearing members, a plurality of rolls journaled at their ends in said bearing members, means associated with said frame members for imposing a' tension on said rolls,'a normally rigid collapsible frame mounted on said first mentioned means through which tension may be imposed on said rolls, said frame comprising top and bottom parallel bars, devices pivotally connected to the ends of said top bar and adapted to engage said bottom bar to normally hold said bars in spaced relation, a lever pivoted on said bottom bar intermediate its ends, and releasing bolts slid-ably mounted on said bottom bar and operatively connected at their inner ends to said lever at points spaced on each side of its pivotal connection to said bottom bar, said releasing bolts upon operation of said lever moving outwardly in opposite directions and displacing said devices from spacing engagement with said bottom bar.

7. A device of the kind described comprising in combination with a pair of wringer rolls and end frame members in which said rolls have bearing, said end frame members comprising vertically spaced arms. tension rods carried by said frame members in a plane spaced from the plane of said wringer rolls, springs mounted on said tension rods and fly nuts on said rods above said springs. a normally rigid. collapsible presser frame mounted on said tension rods between said fly nuts and the top end of said springs and through which tension may be imposed on said springs when the said fly nuts are screwed down upon said rods and means carried by said frame for collapsing the same to release the tension of said springs.

8. A device of the kind described comprising in -o11'1bi1121tl0l1 with a pair of wringer rolls and end frame members in whi h said, rolls have bearing, said end frame members comprising vertically spaced arms. tension rods carried by said frame members in a plane spaced from the plane of said wringer rolls, springs mounted on said tension rods and fly nuts threaded on said rods above said springs. a pair of parallel bars mounted on said tension rods becarried by the other of said bars adapted for displacing said latches from their spacing position between said bars.

In testimony that I claim the foregoin as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this fifteenth day 10 of May A. D. 1916.

\VILLIAM H. GEORGE.

Witnesses:

R. D. HUNT,

J'A's. HAMMON. 

